Golden Gauntlet Rampage

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The Golden Gauntlet. On paper, its stats weren't that impressive, but the item's true value lay in its active effect—a simple yet devastating ability that granted massive gold and experience in one go.

The problem was recouping the investment. You needed to trigger the active about ten times before it turned a profit. Until then, spending the same gold on other items would outperform it.

That translated to over fifteen minutes of game time. It was a classic late-bloomer item.

There were only two scenarios for building it: a farming powerhouse champ picking it first to accelerate their growth even further, or a late-game carry so wrecked early that they gambled everything on an extreme comeback.

But for a midlaner who needed to dominate the midgame—especially one who'd already snagged two kills early—this was Golden Gauntlet? That gold could've bought combat items with way more impact. What a waste.

That was everyone else's take right now.

The casters voiced doubts about Seona's item choice, and the crowd and viewers echoed them.

Of course, the Golden Gauntlet shone brighter the sooner it came online—but in the public's eyes, that applied to carries, not mids. Seona's pick looked like a total blunder to anyone watching.

I was the only one who knew it wasn't.

Huehuehue, found it!

Seona blatantly planted Spark Race on the enemy minion wave, detonating it. The line cleared fast, leaving a lull until the next wave.

She bolted straight to our jungle and triggered Golden Gauntlet on the toughest monster there. It turned into a gold nugget and vanished, kicking off the 100-second cooldown.

Then Seona popped her ultimate, Thunder Clone. The moment it activated, another Seona appeared beside her—not a lower-body glitch like Spark Race, but a perfect duplicate, legs and all.

"This sensation's still weird every time I ult. Anyway, jungle time!"

Seona's real body stayed mid to hold the lane, while Thunder Clone dove deeper into our jungle—near top, where Sera and Hayoung were laning. There, the clone unleashed its own Golden Gauntlet on the strongest camp.

Thunder Spirit's true power: the moment the ultimate summons the clone, its item cooldowns reset completely.

The original Seona had just used Golden Gauntlet, so hers was on cooldown—but the clone spawned fresh and could fire it off immediately.

Plus, Thunder Clone's cooldown was 60 seconds at level 1, shorter than the Gauntlet's 100. Even if she only summoned clones on cooldown, by the time her personal Gauntlet refreshed once, the clone would've used it nearly twice. And the ult cooldown dropped further with levels, accelerating the snowball.

That was the engine turning mediocre base stats into a carry mid: insane growth from Golden Gauntlet + clone resets, doubled autos and skills pouring out monstrous damage.

Almost no one caught the first clone Gauntleting our jungle camps.

But when Seona summoned a second clone before her own Gauntlet refreshed and it triggered again, the casters were losing it.

Seona's Lightning hit level 6 around the same time as Oh Sujin's Tinker.

But while Sujin lingered at 6, Seona was already 7. Sujin at 7? Seona had long hit 8.

Sujin still at 7? Seona touched 9. The gap widened exponentially as Seona vacuumed XP and gold, her items stacking geometrically faster.

"Wh-what the hell is that...?"

Brilliant froze at Lightning's absurd scaling— their midgame monsters turned clumsy, like they forgot how to play the team that pushed us in round 1.

Teamfights were Seona's show. Her monstrous lead meant ulting into every clash doubled her output—autos, skills, items crashing twice over. Brilliant crumpled like leaves in the wind.

When her Electromagnetic Field faded, the clone's popped up. Spark Races from two Seonas pinned and shoved Brilliant's formation. Fighting two Seonas plus endless fakes broke them completely.

Eventually, Brilliant turtle'd up again, like round 1 game 2. Sujin's Tinker cosmic defense held inhibitor tower, stalling for time.

"Blade Mail?"

"Yeah. We've got gold to burn."

Like round 1, we all bought Thornmail and marched into Self-Destruct Robot marches, popping reflects.

"These bastards again...!"

Sujin preemptively Cyclone Septum'd herself airborne, invuln through the reflect damage. She smirked triumphantly.

"Think I'd fall for the same trick twice? I'll drag this out—break through if you can."

"Didn't work."

"Just like coach showed."

"Core lanes have Spell Immune Amulets—wanna force anyway?"

"Hold up. Better way than charging blind."

Seona chimed in with the plan. My plan, Lightning-exclusive.

"They're grouping bot slowly."

"Watch Lightning close. If clone pops, she's coming that turn—stay sharp."

Shining Star pushed bot with minion wave.

As they reached Blue team's secondary bot tower spot, Kim Seona's Lightning came into view.

Brilliant stayed laser-focused—no missing her.

"Ulted?"

"Not yet."

"Minions here. She has escape dagger—watch for dive. Could ult-clone init."

"Got eyes. Still holding ult."

Red minions slammed inhibitor tower.

Shining Star popped Spell Immune Amulets in unison.

"Immunes up!"

"Fall back a bit! Give tower, don't fight on immune!"

"Says who?"

A unfamiliar voice echoed from Brilliant's base. They whipped around—Kim Seona grinned there.

Brilliant's eyes bulged in shock.

Too sudden—no reactions.

"N-no way! Saw no ult!"

"Obviously. It's a clone."

"...?!"

Simultaneously, the "Seona" with the main Shining force flickered and vanished—Thunder Clone duration end.

"Then you...!"

Sujin spat blood figuratively, voice pure disbelief.

"Ta-da~! I'm the real Kim Seona!"

Seona lashed Current at Sujin first. Spaced from team for defense, Sujin ate slow and DoT raw—no escape on Tinker. Shining swarmed immune, inescapable.

Brilliant unloaded on the base invader, but her hemispheric Electromagnetic Field spun overhead.

"Youuuu!"

"Yup, Kim Seona! Memorize this pretty face!"

Seona smashed Sujin with empowered autos—champion-level hits.

Tinker fell, the team's resource hog and defense core. The rest collapsed.

Thus, Shining Star maxed new champ Lightning's potential, clinching victory before crowds who'd come to gawk.